The present invention relates to dispensers for aerosols or other pressurized products, and more particularly to a pressure resistant plastic bottle for dispensing an aerosol or other comparably pressurized product.
The term “aerosol” will be understood herein to mean any non-refillable receptacle containing a gas compressed, liquefied or dissolved under pressure, the sole purpose of which is to expel a nonpoisonous (other than a Division 6.1 Packing Group III material) liquid, paste, or powder and fitted with a self-closing release device allowing the contents to be ejected by the gas. Aerosol products include but are not limited to foamed or gel preparations or to liquid products delivered in a non-aerosol stream.
Pressurized containers for dispensing aerosols are well known in the art, and are typically constructed of metal in order to withstand the inherent internal pressure of aerosols. However, it is desirable to provide a plastic container capable of withstanding the internal pressures generated by an aerosol because plastic has many advantages over metal. Some of these advantages include the ease and economy of manufacture, aesthetic appeal to an end user, it doesn't rust, and the ability to recycle.
Such pressurized containers have a dispensing nozzle or dispensing orifice to allow the product to be dispensed from the package. The dispensing nozzle or dispensing orifice may be disposed near the top of the package, although other configurations and locations are also known in the art. Dispensing nozzles are typically spring loaded actuators manufactured from metal in order to provide reliable components such as springs, valve cups and valve stems. Plastic pressurized containers including such valves are typically non recyclable. Thus, the ability to recycle plastic pressurized containers is often limited due to dispensing nozzle.
Thus the purpose of the present invention is to construct a recyclable plastic valve that can be readily opened through hand pressure of the user and provides the necessary sealing effectiveness required for pressurized containers.
It is a further and related purpose of this invention to meet the above objectives in a design composed of minimal parts that are easy to manufacture and assemble so as to make this improved valve economically viable or attractive in a wide range of pressurized dispensing containers.